Albert c



(No Model.)

A. O. WETHERBEE.

THILL' COUPLING.

No; 274,428. Patented Mar.20,1883.

INVENTOR:

WTNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT rarest ALBERT O. W'ETHERBEE, OF HAMMONTON, NEW JEtSEY, ASSIGNOR- OF ONE'HALF TO ALEXANDER AITKEN, OF SAME PLACE.

THiLL-COU PLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,428, dated March20, 1883.

Application filed J annary 10, 1883i (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT (l. WETHER- BEE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Hammonton, in the county ofAtlantic, State of New Jersey, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Thill or Shaft Couplings, which improvement is fully setforth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, inwhich-- Figure l is a top or plan view of the thill or shaft couplingembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section thereof in line w m, Fig. 1.Fig. Bis front view thereof, and Fig. 4 is a bottom plan thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveralfigures.

My invention relates to improvements in a thill or shaft coupling soconstructed that should the bolt thereof break or be lost the couplingwill remain connected sufticiently for all purposes until another boltisapplied. For this purpose the lower end of the thill-iron is formed withan integral head wider than the space between the side pieces of thebox, which, when the bolt is broken or lost, is adapted to engage withthe sides of the box, and thus provide a temporary coupling, as will behereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the arm or iron of athin-coupling; B, the box, bearing, or support to which said iron isbolted, and U the clip with which said box is conneoted.

On the lower end of the iron is formed a head, D, which extendstransversely below the box, and is of width greater than the spacebetween the sides, so as to project under the sides, as shown in Figs. 3and at.

In order to permit the passage of the head D through the box, the innerface of each side, at the front thereof, is recessed or grooved in avertical direction, as at a, it being noticed that the sides of the boxare connected in front by the piece 11.

It will be seen that when the parts are in operative position, as inFig. 2, the coupling renders usual service. When, however, the

bolt B is broken or lost, the iron released from the sides ofthe boxiscarried forward, limited by the front piece of the box, and theprojecting ends of the head D abutagainst thelower sides of the box,thus controlling said head, whereby the iron remains connected with thebox, providing a temporary coupling, which is sufficient for allpurposes until a new bolt is supplied, it being seen that the box isopen from top to bottom and readily receives the eye of the iron and therubber block or packing similar to couplings in use, and that I employan ordinary bolt and out for connecting the iron and box. Furthermore,thevertical groove ct extends throughout the box from top to bottom, sothat when the cross-head D is passed down through said groove and movedback under the side walls the eye of the coupling is in position toreceive the bolt.

I am aware that it is not new to form a thilliron with trunnions whichare fitted in cars rising from a base-plate of a coupling, and toconnect with said iron a bent spring which is passed through an openingin said base-plate, and has on its lower end an arrow-head.

I am also aware that it is not new to form the lower end of a thill-ironwith an upwardlyprojecting book which enters a recess in thecoupling-box from below, and provide said iron with studs which arefitted in other recesses in the iron, the forward bifurcated end of thebox being clamped by a bolt and nut; but in both such constructions theordinary securing and pivotal bolt and nut are undesirably dis pensedwith and weak and complicated boxes are presented; and neither of themshows a box closed in front by a wall cast or formed with the sidewalls, or a head integral with the iron at the lower end, below the sidewalls of the box, and wider than the space between said side walls,wherefore I have made an improvement in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a thin-coupling, abox, in combination with a thill-iron having itslower end, below said box, formed with a head which is wider than thespace between the side pieces of the box and integral with said iron,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2 wages 2. In a thin-coupling, a thill-iron provided is of greater widththan the space between the at its lower end with a head, in combinationside walls and integral with the iron, comwith a coupling-box havingafront wall which bined and operating substantially as described, isformed with the side walls, substantially as and forming an improvementin thill-coup- '5 and for the purpose set forth. lin gs.

3. A box having a'front wall continuous v with the side walls thereof,and provided with ALBERT BE E a vertical groove open from top to bottom,the Witnesses connecting-bolt of the iron and box, and a ALEXANDERAITKEN, 1o thill-iron having at its lower end a head which M. L.JACKSON.

